builderwill
Well-known member
Anybody who’s ridden with me much knows I tend to ride a little on the aggressive side and love to carve up a twisty or two. Most weekends I’m out running around with liter sport bikes and for the most part kept up with all but the best of riders. Although I had the FJR’s stock suspension as dialed in for me as possible there were times when she just wasn’t as sure footed as I wanted, especially high speed sweepers. Any bump in the road felt like the front was just gonna wash out on me. And while I got used to the weight it would wear me down after a few hours of curves.
So I was at the point, with getting close to 25K on the shocks and forks, that I needed to upgrade. I had a couple of choices 1) spend a few hundred and get better springs up front and maybe have the stock rear rebuilt and quite possibly still be not much better or 2) spend a couple grand and go all out on aftermarket front and rear which I hear makes a huge difference. I was mulling those options back and forth, all the while wondering if I was going to happy with either. At the end of the day she would still weigh 650 lbs.
I started investigating different bikes that may fit my needs:
- 80 percent of my riding is weekend twisties ranging normally 120 to 200 miles in a day.
- 2 or 3 trips a year, usually 3 – 5 days and about 1200 – 2500 a trip. I’ll slab it only if I absolutely have to as I just don’t enjoy it. And for me if you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point.
- I don’t commute except for the rarest of days due to my job and the usual running around with kids after work.
So after test riding a few different options I started focusing in on one model I’ve been lusting after for awhile now. I started lurking around ebay and local classifieds and eventually came across and pulled the trigger on this nice, understated, subdued little gem:
Once I got the bug for a ZX 14 I just couldn’t shake it. And while checking them out noticed quite an abundance of them for surprisingly cheap. The hard thing was finding one relatively stock and not all stretched and lowered. All this one had was a set of slip on, the rest was bone stock.
Saturday I did a fly and ride, picking up my new toy in Louisville, KY and bringing here back to St. Louis. I’ve done that with my last two bikes and there’s no better way to get to know your new ride than to put a few hundred. Scott picked me up at the airport and took me back to the dealer. Come to find out Scott had been an FJR owner as well and knew somebody a little south of me. Turns out it was Smitty and he had installed a cruise control for him a few years back. Man, that Smitty really gets around. Anyway, we do the paperwork and I’m off with a 300 or so mile trip ahead of me. It was a beautiful day for November and I decide to take US 150/50 home. It’s not bad in Indiana, scenic with a few curves. The downside is you go through every little town in Illinois and one speed zone after another. At least it kept me off the interstate.
So off I went. I had test driven one already, but this would be my first real ride. Riding position is much more aggressive and I already had started pricing up riser or handle bar conversion kits as well as lower pegs. After the 6 hours or so I was really surprised at how good I felt. My legs or hips did not feel bad at all. If feels strange hiking you foot up that high when you first take off, but one its up on the peg, it doesn’t feel that bad. As far as the clip-on’s they were not that bad either. You stretch out quite a bit more and it actually made my bad back with degenerative discs feel good. What saves your wrists and arms is the wind pressure on your chest. It really takes a lot of weight off your arms. But that is the one thing that wasn’t so good, the lack of wind protection. There was a while where I was cruising at 85 or so and my arms were getting tired of hanging on the bars for dear life. A touring screen will fix that but then that may put the weight back on my wrists, requiring maybe a heli-riser. I’ll just have to ride more and do some experimenting to settle in on what works best for me, but overall I was pleasantly surprised.
As far as handling it’s night and day over the FJR. The suspension, while a little harsher, felt great like it was on rails, regardless of road condition. Turn in was effortless and it went where you wanted it to go. Only thing is you better have your speed set before the turn. Even the lightest of braking in the turn really felt like it was wanting to stand up. As far as throttle goes, steady is key. A little too much throttle and bad things can happen very quickly.
That brings me to the engine. All I can say is ‘Holy Shit, Batman!’ Yesterday I spent most of the day taking it easy and getting to know the bike. Towards the end of the ride it was dark and a lot of deer around, so again I was taking it easy. Even taking it easy it is clear that this thing has way more power than you need. Today I had the chance to take it out to some more familiar roads and play a little. I was starting to hit it a little harder and the power was impressive, but extremely smooth. I then had a chance to do a WOT run on a straight away. Again very impressive power and as I approached 7K started to think about shifting. I left off the gas a little and noticed I still had 4K left till redline. Opened her up again and that’s when I figured out the real party starts. I can’t even describe it fully except it reminds you of that scene in Star Wars when they shift into hyperdrive. Things just become a blur and the front end starts to come off the ground…again.
I think that was the first time a bike actually scared me going in a straight line. I’m thinking this is going to be a fun new toy!
Here she is getting some ST goodies. Can’t wait to take that next trip.
So I was at the point, with getting close to 25K on the shocks and forks, that I needed to upgrade. I had a couple of choices 1) spend a few hundred and get better springs up front and maybe have the stock rear rebuilt and quite possibly still be not much better or 2) spend a couple grand and go all out on aftermarket front and rear which I hear makes a huge difference. I was mulling those options back and forth, all the while wondering if I was going to happy with either. At the end of the day she would still weigh 650 lbs.
I started investigating different bikes that may fit my needs:
- 80 percent of my riding is weekend twisties ranging normally 120 to 200 miles in a day.
- 2 or 3 trips a year, usually 3 – 5 days and about 1200 – 2500 a trip. I’ll slab it only if I absolutely have to as I just don’t enjoy it. And for me if you don’t enjoy it, what’s the point.
- I don’t commute except for the rarest of days due to my job and the usual running around with kids after work.
So after test riding a few different options I started focusing in on one model I’ve been lusting after for awhile now. I started lurking around ebay and local classifieds and eventually came across and pulled the trigger on this nice, understated, subdued little gem:
Once I got the bug for a ZX 14 I just couldn’t shake it. And while checking them out noticed quite an abundance of them for surprisingly cheap. The hard thing was finding one relatively stock and not all stretched and lowered. All this one had was a set of slip on, the rest was bone stock.
Saturday I did a fly and ride, picking up my new toy in Louisville, KY and bringing here back to St. Louis. I’ve done that with my last two bikes and there’s no better way to get to know your new ride than to put a few hundred. Scott picked me up at the airport and took me back to the dealer. Come to find out Scott had been an FJR owner as well and knew somebody a little south of me. Turns out it was Smitty and he had installed a cruise control for him a few years back. Man, that Smitty really gets around. Anyway, we do the paperwork and I’m off with a 300 or so mile trip ahead of me. It was a beautiful day for November and I decide to take US 150/50 home. It’s not bad in Indiana, scenic with a few curves. The downside is you go through every little town in Illinois and one speed zone after another. At least it kept me off the interstate.
So off I went. I had test driven one already, but this would be my first real ride. Riding position is much more aggressive and I already had started pricing up riser or handle bar conversion kits as well as lower pegs. After the 6 hours or so I was really surprised at how good I felt. My legs or hips did not feel bad at all. If feels strange hiking you foot up that high when you first take off, but one its up on the peg, it doesn’t feel that bad. As far as the clip-on’s they were not that bad either. You stretch out quite a bit more and it actually made my bad back with degenerative discs feel good. What saves your wrists and arms is the wind pressure on your chest. It really takes a lot of weight off your arms. But that is the one thing that wasn’t so good, the lack of wind protection. There was a while where I was cruising at 85 or so and my arms were getting tired of hanging on the bars for dear life. A touring screen will fix that but then that may put the weight back on my wrists, requiring maybe a heli-riser. I’ll just have to ride more and do some experimenting to settle in on what works best for me, but overall I was pleasantly surprised.
As far as handling it’s night and day over the FJR. The suspension, while a little harsher, felt great like it was on rails, regardless of road condition. Turn in was effortless and it went where you wanted it to go. Only thing is you better have your speed set before the turn. Even the lightest of braking in the turn really felt like it was wanting to stand up. As far as throttle goes, steady is key. A little too much throttle and bad things can happen very quickly.
That brings me to the engine. All I can say is ‘Holy Shit, Batman!’ Yesterday I spent most of the day taking it easy and getting to know the bike. Towards the end of the ride it was dark and a lot of deer around, so again I was taking it easy. Even taking it easy it is clear that this thing has way more power than you need. Today I had the chance to take it out to some more familiar roads and play a little. I was starting to hit it a little harder and the power was impressive, but extremely smooth. I then had a chance to do a WOT run on a straight away. Again very impressive power and as I approached 7K started to think about shifting. I left off the gas a little and noticed I still had 4K left till redline. Opened her up again and that’s when I figured out the real party starts. I can’t even describe it fully except it reminds you of that scene in Star Wars when they shift into hyperdrive. Things just become a blur and the front end starts to come off the ground…again.
I think that was the first time a bike actually scared me going in a straight line. I’m thinking this is going to be a fun new toy!
Here she is getting some ST goodies. Can’t wait to take that next trip.
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